This invention relates to accessory mounts for mounting an accessory to a firearm, and more particularly to a mount or interface adapter for securing a light beam generator apparatus to a firearm including a handgun.
Light beam generator apparatus, such as flashlights and laser aiming devices, have long been adapted for being secured to firearms as target illuminators and laser sights. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,754, issued to Edward C. Reynolds, Jr. and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, teaches a light beam generator assembly mounted to a firearm below the firearm's barrel and forwardly of the firearm's trigger guard. As applied to a handgun having a longitudinally moveable slide and a slide stop which causes the slide to lock open automatically after the last round has been fired and ejected, or which may be manually actuated at other times, the Reynolds light beam generating apparatus is pivotably secured to the handgun's slide stop pin transversely secured to the handgun frame. Positional stabilization of the secured light beam generator device on the handgun is facilitated by an adjustable set screw extending from the rear of the light beam generator housing and abutting the front surface of the handgun's trigger guard. Reynolds U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,754 is incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,378,237, issued to John W. Matthews and Paul Y. Kim and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, discloses an accessory mount or interface adapter clamped to the front of the handgun's trigger guard and longitudinally extending beneath the handgun's barrel. The accessory mount includes a rail having a pair of longitudinal grooves, one along each side of the rail, and the light beam generator apparatus includes a pair of longitudinal tongues for slidably mating with the mount's longitudinal grooves for being slidably held along the rail. A latch on the light beam generator housing co-acts with a transverse slot in the rail to releasably prevent further longitudinal movement of the light beam generator apparatus when such apparatus is at a predetermined position along the rail. Matthews et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,378,237 is incorporated herein by reference.